Turns out Ronald Acuña Jr.’s best friend on the team, Ozzie Albies, is pretty good at this baseball thing as well. The Braves second baseman homered twice last night in Atlanta’s win over the Marlins, which gives Albies five homers and eight extra-base hits over his last nine games. He also leads all middle infielders in long balls on the season with seven.
Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves (7) pic.twitter.com/4okrjIgl0g
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) April 26, 2023
There were some concerns about Albies’ sluggish start to the year, but he’s reminded everybody of exactly who he is over the past 10 games.
The 26-year-old second baseman is a streaky hitter, which has a lot to do with his pitch selection. There isn’t a ball that comes out of the pitcher’s hand that Albies doesn’t find juicy, which can result in lengthy slumps and frustrations. But this is who he has been his entire career, and at the end of the season, we are going to look up and he’s going lead all second basemen in hits, extra-base hits, and home runs — likely accruing 4-5 WAR. That’s incredible output for a player that is set to hit in the bottom half of the Braves lineup this season.
After two straight wins, the Braves sit at 16-8 in April, two games clear of the Mets for first place in the division, and they’ve been nowhere close to full strength. I think it’s fair to say most of us underestimated just how much a healthy Acuña and Albies bring to the lineup. If they continue to play everyday, they are a lock to accrue over 10 WAR combined after combining for about 3 WAR last year. Considering the Braves won 101 games last season, who knows what that number could be in 2023.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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